Some Options to Consider

Consider a Minor

You can select courses which may enhance your career options and help distinguish you from other job applicants. For example, if your aim is to work for a large corporation, a minor in business or in economics is worth your serious consideration. If your interests are international or comparative, you must have skill in speaking, reading and writing at least one language beyond English. If you are interested in policy analysis, you need research skills that go beyond the "scope and methods" requirement for the Political Science major; you should take courses in economics and statistics. If you want to work on campaigns, you need to know polling and statistical techniques, and might well want to take some courses in mass media as well. If you are passionate about social issues, a minor in sociology might be appropriate. It might also be possible to combine your Political Science major with appropriate courses in history, economics and education so as the achieve certification to teach in Florida's public schools without majoring in education. (You can begin to explore this option at www.firn.edu/doe, but be aware that this option requires quite careful attention to detail.) Virtually all jobs require you to be skilled in the use of computers, and many require that you have some sophistication in data analysis. Writing skills are always in demand. Your choice of courses beyond your major can provide you additional substantive preparation, enhance your credentials and create options for you that otherwise might not exist.

Consider an Internship

An internship can give you practical experience, a great resume entry, academic credit and help you gather information and meet people. An internship allows you to test your skills and to apply what you have learned. An internship can help you decide what kinds of career you do or do not desire to pursue. Internships can help you around the proverbial "catch 22"--employers want people with experience but how do you get experience if you initially can't get a job because you don't have experience? Internships provide you with on-the-job training, let you get a taste of the field in which you think you want to invest our working years and, most importantly, provide you an opportunity to network. You might even make connection with a future mentor through an internship. The Political Science department offers an internship program and encourages internships at the local, state, national and international levels. Internships have prerequisites and require writing, so plan early if you wish to incorporate an internship into your undergraduate work.

Under normal circumstances you must be a junior or senior by hours (60 or more) to do an internship (exceptions may be granted for one-of-a-kind opportunities such as a presidential election campaign or other position that might not be available at a future date). Internships can be done in all semesters and are typically unpaid. Internships can earn variable amounts of credit although the standard local internship earns three credit hours and the standard Washington DC internship earns twelve credit hours. You may do multiple internships ?some students have done as many as three or four over their junior and senior year. Political science majors can apply up to six internship hours towards their major requirements and political science minors can apply three internship hours towards their minor requirements. Additional internship hours count as upper division electives. Currently the department places over 100 interns a year and between 1998 and 2001 about 25 students got paying jobs as a direct or indirect result of their internship.

There are basically three ways to arrange an internship. You may find a placement on your own, you may go through UCF Cooperative Education (CO-OP), or you may see the political science internship coordinator for a list of current options. If you find one on your own or go through CO-OP you will still need to consult with the department internship coordinator to arrange academic credit. Internships earn regular letter grades and show up on transcripts and academic audits. Your grade is based on several components: the number of hours you put in; an evaluation from your supervisor; a journal or portfolio documenting your experience; and a research paper or papers.

The local internship program allows students to gain academic credit while interning in Central Florida. The standard local internship earns three credit hours and requires the student to average 15 hours a week at the site over the course of the term, keep a journal of hours and duties, and write a college level research paper (8-12 pages double spaced) on a topic related to the internship. Ideally you should see the department internship coordinator in the last month of the previous term to get a local internship (as an example, for a spring internship starting in January see the coordinator as early as November). Internship placements can be made as late as add/drop week (and even later under special circumstances), however since internship placements are first come first serve you are advised to start earlier.

Locally, internship opportunities exist with state and federal legislators, city and county commissioners and executives, law firms, lobbying organizations, local media and city and county governments. Opportunities also exist in the nonprofit sector and with various community groups. During election years, internships have been held with local, state and federal election campaigns--a useful opportunity for generating future employment and political contacts. The department internship coordinator is the best source for specific placement sites available in a given term.

The department also places and supervises interns in Washington DC. Most students go through the Washington Center for internships in the nation's capitol (found at www.twc.com). The Washington Center (TWC) is a nonprofit organization with over 25 years experience placing and supervising interns in the nation's capitol. Students fill out an application packet in consultation with the department internship coordinator and submit it to TWC. TWC contacts potential sites in DC who then contact the students directly for interviews and hiring (although the majority of these placements do not pay a salary). Students work at their internship full time and take an academic course one night a week while in DC. They must also put together a portfolio to document their learning experience. Students normally receive 12 credit hours from the political science department at UCF for a TWC internship but may choose to earn less (although the workload in Washington is the same regardless of credit hours received). This has been a very popular program with over 40 UCF political science students interning in DC between 1998 and 2001. UCF students have interned with the White House, the US House and Senate, State Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Washington law firms, interest groups and many others. Two students have taken jobs upon graduation on Capitol Hill with Florida Congressional Representatives as a direct result of their internships in DC.

TWC placements are made every semester with spring and fall internships lasting about 14 weeks and summer internship lasting about 10 weeks. TWC has housing available for students and also has a matching scholarship program with the Florida legislature (on a funding available basis) that helps reduce student costs significantly. The application deadline date for most TWC placements is about three months before a semester starts, but for planning purposes you should start much earlier if possible.

Ideally, to get an internship with TWC you should begin reviewing the internship packet up to a year ahead to allow yourself time to plan (e.g. to adjust your lease so you don't end up paying rent in two different places while in DC). A few placements such as the US State Department or Justice Department actually require as much as a nine-month lead-time for background checks.

The Washington Internship Institute (www.wiidc.org) is another organization in Washington which provides a comprehensive internship program. In addition, they have a specialized program for students interested in international affairs, the Embassy and Diplomatic Scholars internship program. The Institute offers both need-based and merit-based scholarships.

Another good source for internships is the UCF Cooperative Education Department (CO-OP). A CO-OP position is normally done for two semesters, part time. CO-OP positions are all paid and also allow you to earn academic credit through the political science department. Many students have found internships with law firms or government agencies through CO-OP and some of these turned in to full time jobs upon graduation. To get a CO-OP position, go to Phillips Hall 208 and fill out an application. Then make an appointment to talk with a counselor about placements available in areas that interest you. The potential internship site will then interview candidates. If you get a CO-OP position remember to get in touch with the political science internship coordinator to arrange for academic credit. Requirements for the typical 3 credit hour CO-OP internship are similar to those for other local internships: 15-20 hours a week on-site, recording hours and duties in a journal and a college level research paper.

Finally some students find their own internship positions. This may be in Central Florida, Washington, Tallahassee or elsewhere. For instance in the past several years students have found positions and received credit for internships with numerous elected officials and law firms in Central Florida, the Speaker of the Florida House in Tallahassee, Majority Leader of the US Congress, United Nations in New York, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in New England, Traditional Values Coalition in Washington and the Al Gore Campaign Advance Team that took the student to many major cities across the country. The internship coordinator is thrilled when students find and get these opportunities and is happy to help arrange academic credit. The student should provide a letter from the organization verifying placement and including all contact information needed for evaluation. Credit hours and requirements vary for these kinds of internships.

For those interested in exploring options and/or finding a placement on their own, some suggestions follow.

You can learn about internship opportunities at the state level at www.myflorida.com which lists internship opportunities by county (this is a relatively new site so you may need to go to individual agency sites as well, until the new site becomes more established. You can find a listing of state government agencies at http://dlis.dos.state.fl.us/fgils.) One of the most attractive internships at the state level is with the Florida House of Representatives. It is a yearlong internship program in which interns provide staff assistance to the members and committees of the House. These interns are paid, and must be admitted to and enrolled in a graduate program at Florida State University. Competition for these positions is keen. Application deadlines are in early November. To be eligible for a Fall internship you must complete undergraduate work by the preceding June, and be accepted into a graduate or law program at FSU. State legislators are always interested in student volunteers and interns, especially during campaigns and in the period leading up to the legislative session. It might be possible to arrange an internship with another unit of state government if you select a particular agency to approach.

It is also possible to arrange an internship in the Tallahassee office of interest groups. You can locate the names and addresses of such groups on the Web at the Florida state legislature's web site "OnLine Sunshine" (www.leg.state.fl.us/Lobbyist).

Both of Florida's U.S. Senators (www.senate.gov/~graham/internships.html and http://billnelson.senate.gov) and most of Florida's members of the House of Representatives (www.house.gov) offer internship opportunities. Senators and Representatives from other states also offer internships and might, under special circumstances, be willing to consider a Florida student for such a position. Many agencies of the federal government offer internships; some of these positions are paid summer positions. To explore these possibilities, go to www.whitehouse.gov and explore under "your government".

For those with international or comparative interests, a variety of internship opportunities are available through the federal government, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, think tanks, and private enterprise. Internships with the federal government are very competitive but they are worth pursuing since they provide experience, are excellent vehicles for networking and often lead to permanent positions. Elements of the federal government that have intern programs with an international emphasis include the following (some of these are paid and others for academic credit only; some in Washington and others elsewhere in the U.S. and abroad):

Agency for International Development: www.info.usaid.gov; Central Intelligence Agency: www.cia.gov; Department of Defense: www.defenselink.mil; Department of State:www.state.gov ; National Security Agency: www.nsa.gov.

International organizations are also a source of internship opportunities, although they are limited in number and highly competitive. Nevertheless, they can provide an edge for those seeking permanent employment in an international agency, as career positions are often staffed on a quota system and networking can be an advantage. Agencies that provide internship opportunities for those with international training include the United Nations, which has a highly developed internship program, including the UN Ad Hoc Internship Program, the Graduate Student Intern Program, the UN Headquarters Intern Program, and the Summer Internship Program. If you are interested in a United Nations internship, go to the web site www.wafunif.org. This site is provided by an organization of former U.N. interns and fellows (World Association of Former United Nations Interns and Fellows - the acronym is WAFUNIF). This web site has a very useful page called "ISTUNIF On-Line" which will guide you through the complex organization of the United Nations to the many internship programs run by the UN and its constituent organizations, including such UN agencies as the International Labor Organization and UNICEF. You might also be interested in the Organization of American States (www.oas.org/EN/PINFO/HR/job.htm), the Inter-American Development Bank (www.iadb.org) or the Delegation of the Commission of the European Community (www.eurunion.org).

Internships exist with a variety of international non-governmental organizations. Here are some examples.

Emphasis: Regional

Emphasis: Policy Issues

Emphasis: Humanitarian

Emphasis: Economic

Emphasis: Defense

Emphasis: International Organizations

Emphasis: Gender

  • Women's Research and Education Institute (www.wrei.org)
  • Women Strike for Peace, Women's Action for New Directions (www.wand.org)
  • Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (www.wilpf.org)

Emphasis: Religious

Consider Volunteering

If you do not undertake a formal internship (or in addition to your internship), consider gaining experience through volunteer activities. Many local organizations are concerned with community issues, government and politics; you should consider joining one or more. This is a means to contribute to your community while building contacts which may prove useful. These organizations always welcome new members and often include among their active membership people who make hiring decisions in local firms and organizations. Students who join these groups often find that they quickly move to positions of responsibility in the groups. The University encourages volunteer activities in a variety of ways. You can learn about some of these at "Volunteer UCF" (pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~vucf). A more formal approach is to register for a "service learning" course (pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~service). UCF also sponsors a "volunteer fair" where you can learn about a variety of volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer opportunities are also listed in the Orlando Sentinel and in other local newspapers. You will also find a section listing networking groups in local business, government and nonprofit organizations in each Monday's Business Section of the Orlando Sentinel, but be aware that some of these groups charge a fee.

During election periods, many campaign organizations contact the Political Science department, seeking volunteers. While the department never selects a candidate to whom a student is assigned, we do encourage students to become involved in campaigns, both as a matter of citizenship and as a means to gain practical experience. Volunteer activities can provide help when you are looking for jobs, as well as providing you an opportunity to become involved in your community. Alternatives like the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps obviously involve a much larger commitment on your part but might be worth considered.

Consider Graduate School

An advanced professional degree is of help when seeking some jobs and is essential for others. The Ph.D. degree is basically a research degree, necessary for teaching and research positions at the university level but also appropriate for positions in government and the private sector which involve advanced policy analysis and implementation. A complete listing of Political Science Ph.D. graduate programs can be found in the Political Science office in Colbourn Hall 415. You can also find information about specific graduate programs on the Web; the general format for a university's home page is www.universityname.edu, if this doesn't get you to the school you are seeking, use a search engine. If you are considering seeking a Ph.D. you should work very closely with your academic advisor.

A Master's degree in Political Science is the credential for community college teaching and is useful for secondary teaching, as well as increasing your qualifications for jobs in government and business. One recommended pattern is for a student to obtain an undergraduate degree in a liberal arts field and to follow that with a Master's degree in a specialized, applied area. A large number of options exist. For example, journalists often combine an undergraduate major in Political Science with a Master's degree in journalism. As another example, many universities offer specialized graduate training in environmental, urban and regional planning. In Florida, Florida State University (www.fsu.edu/~durp) and Florida Atlantic University (www.fau.edu/divdept/caupa/durp) offer such programs. A complete listing of planning programs accredited by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning can be found at www.uwm.edu/Org/acsp. As a third example, some universities now offer professional Master's programs in campaign or political management. The University of Florida has such a program (www.polisci.ufl.edu/campaign) as does George Washington University (www.gwu.edu/~gspm).

For some jobs in city or county government, the Master's of Political Science or of Public Administration is the entry-level credential. One or two-year Master's programs offer training in various aspects of public administration, international affairs, environmental planning, criminal justice, judicial administration, and in other policy areas. A Master's degree in a cognate field (e.g. applied economics, applied sociology, applied statistics, or journalism) is also worth considering.

Use UCF's Career Resource Center

No later than the beginning of your senior year, you need to begin serious, systematic work toward finding your first professional job. Begin by contacting the University of Central Florida's Career Resource Center (http://www.crc.ucf.edu, 407-823-2361). This office will help you with career advising, resume preparation and interview skills. Career Resources also maintains an employer job data bank, holds job fairs, and schedules interviews with those employers who come onto campus to interview. The Career Resource Center will provide more useful specific interview possibilities to those who wish to work in the private sector than for those who seek employment in the public sector, although some governmental agencies do occasionally conduct interviews through the Career Resource Center.

Job Search Strategies

If you passively wait for something to "turn up", it is likely that nothing will "turn up". You need to begin early (at least a year before you hope to begin your first professional position), search widely, network and make connections, make plans which you follow systematically, and remain flexible.

First, Cast Your Net Widely

Some people have always known what career path they want to pursue, but most people do not, and most people change directions more than once. Even if you are sure of the direction you wish to follow, you should begin by looking very widely. The specific career options suggested in later pages will help you do this, but early in your job search you need to spend some time exploring and thinking, so that you avoid making choices without being aware of the wide range of options that exist. In the public sector, governments at all levels hire persons with all kinds of skills into all kinds of occupations. Small towns, big cities, counties and special governing districts, along with executive, judicial and legislative branches of state and federal governments all fill staff positions. Large corporations have government affairs divisions while small corporations tend to rely on their trade associations for governmental affairs services. Nongovernmental organizations, interest and lobby groups, trade unions and think tanks hire staff. Magazines, newspapers, television and other media firms hire people to analyze government and public policy. You do yourself a disservice unless you begin by making yourself aware of the wide range of options that exist. Early in this broad survey, you should design a systematic means of keeping records of interesting possibilities and then keep careful records of organizations, names, titles, addresses, and so on.

The Web can be very useful for this initial exploration. For example, from the web site for the White House (www.whitehouse.gov), you can quickly link to all of the major agencies of the executive branch of the federal government; from the web site for the U.S. Congress (www.house.gov and www.senate.gov) you can see the staff structure of Congress; from "MyFlorida" (www.myflorida.com) you can survey the structure of Florida's government. Many web sites list job opportunities in the private and non-profit sectors: www.heritage.org/jobs, www.idealist.org, www.accessjob.org, www.sustainablebusiness.com and www.envirocitizen.org will give you an overview. Read the ads in the Sentinel (www.Sentinel.com) in the Washington Post (washingtonpost.com), remembering that your purpose at this early point is to gain a sense of possibilities. Some time on the various job search sites listed by the UCF Career Resources Center (www.crc.ucf.edu), will help you begin to get an idea of the kinds of jobs which might be available. And don't overlook the University itself as a potential employer (www.ucf.edu/jobs). While most university positions require a graduate degree, UCF is growing rapidly and does hire people into positions with titles like program assistant, coordinator or specialist for which the Bachelor's degree is the required credential.

Register at UCF's Career Resources Center

No later than the beginning of your senior year, register at UCF's Career Resources Center. The Center provides help in writing your resume, in practicing interview skills, and in job search strategies. It holds job fairs-you should attend these (wearing professional attire and with resumes in hand). The Center can match you with potential employers and schedule interviews. Use the resources provided to you by the university. (www.ucf.crc.edu)

Your Resume

You will get a great deal of advice on preparing your resume; the best advice comes from the university's Career Resources Center. Our advice is that you highlight your achievements but never overstate or distort information on your resume. Keep your resume professional (no fancy fonts, purple ink, pink paper or smiley faces). Have several people proofread and critique your resume and then have several more people do the same: typographical, spelling or grammatical errors on a resume will surely erase any possibility of your obtaining a job. The resume must be perfect in its presentation. Omit the "career objectives" and "salary history" sections; they may unduly limit consideration of your resume. You need to prepare your resume early, and you may need to revise your resume each time you target a specific position.

Network, Network, Network

After a broad survey of job possibilities, you need to begin to narrow your focus as to job categories, location, and other factors. As you focus your job search, you should consider everyone you know a potential contact. Tell everyone that you are looking for a job. This includes family, friends and neighbors, roommates, colleagues, your minister or rabbi, the person who cuts your hair, everyone. Develop as long a list of potential contacts as you can, and keep very careful records of your contacts. Use the people you worked with in your internship and in your volunteer positions. Don't know anyone in Washington? Sure you do-does your cousin belong to a trade association with an office in Washington? Don't know anyone who has worked in Europe? Sure you do-does your neighbor have a cousin whose company sent her to France? Think imaginatively to develop contacts. The UCF Alumni Association (http://www.ucfalumni.com) has a career development service and has a program whereby currently enrolled students work with alumni mentors. Even if you don't use this program, consider whether you know any UCF alumnus and use your shared university identification as a context for contacting these people about potential jobs. You might ask a UCF alum or two if they would agree to an "information interview", that is, to a short interview in which you ask them about how they began in their field, job possibilities, job-seeking tactics, and so on.

Narrow your Search

After you have surveyed widely, you must narrow your focus and begin to target specific categories of jobs, based on your interests and skills. Visit the web site of every possible employer you include on your list of targeted employers. Search specific job listings, identify the names of persons to whom to write (the web is essential to this), and begin to send our your resume with a cover letter. Your cover letter is as important as your resume, so construct it with the same care that you used for your resume. When you are writing about a particular job opening, customize your letter to that position, indicating your familiarity with the organization (which you will have gained from the organization's web site) and connect your skills to the organization's mission. Ask for an interview.

Many positions are never advertised. For these you need to write a general letter of inquiry (again, this letter must not contain any errors or exaggerations) which gains the reader's attention. You need a specific name and title in a specific organization; see the suggestions in the sections below and visit the web site of each organization in which you are interested. Your letter should reflect your skills and should ask about job possibilities. Say that you will follow up with a phone call; then do so about a week after your letter will have been received. Always answer any responses you receive. You may send out dozens, even hundreds of letters of inquiry. Keep meticulous records, and always follow through.

When you are invited for an interview, be prepared. That is, research the company or agency which has granted you an interview, and be sure that you have developed your interview skills (the Career Resources Center will help you with interview skills). Do not turn down an interview; you may find that even though the specific position for which you are being interviewed is not what you want, there may be another position in the same organization which does interest you. Take a short sample of your writing and a list of references (with telephone numbers) with you to the interview. Always follow up the interview with a written letter to the person with whom you had the interview.

If you were to accept a position in the executive branch of the federal government, your salary in 2001 would be between $23,000 and $29,000, with a BA degree and depending upon your grade point average. Entry-level jobs on congressional staffs average about 20% lower, while entry level jobs with nongovernmental organizations average about 30% lower. Jobs in the private sector should have slightly higher salaries. As a rule of thumb, if the job content is particularly attractive or if the job offers lots of potential for advancement, the entry salary will be lower rather than higher. Be sure to consider benefits.

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